Goodison’s greatest matches and most memorable moments are recalled in another new Everton history reviewed by Eric Brown…

BY ERIC BROWN

Yet another book has surfaced commemorating Everton’s 133-year residency at Goodison Park.

Everton fans are overwhelmed by products from authors eager to update the club’s history as the Goodison era gives way to the Hill Dickinson period.

Christopher Beesley is uniquely qualified to produce his own tome recounting some of Goodison’s greatest moments. He graduated from the Ellesmere Port Pioneer to the Daily Post Welsh Edition before arriving at the Liverpool Echo to cover Everton and Liverpool in 2005.

Now he writes mostly about Everton and shares his inside knowledge of the club in a book named after the team’s pre-match anthem “Spirit of the Blues.”

The book offers everything you would expect from Everton’s arrival at Goodison from Anfield (due to a dispute with their landlord), to their final game there against Southampton.

There’s Dixie Dean’s 60th goal, a 4-4 FA Cup derby draw with Liverpool which culminated in Kenny Dalglish quitting Anfield, the tempestuous Bayern Munich match, Wayne Rooney’s first goal, title-winning matches and relegation escapes, big wins and heavy defeats, the day the King visited, the 1966 Charity Shield game where Everton and Liverpool paraded the League trophy, FA Cup and World Cup, the 1964 dust-up with Leeds, world cup ties and international matches including England’s first defeat by an overseas nation on home soil. And much, much, more.

Chris Beesley recently joined Barry Cass on Toffee TV to talk about ‘Spirit of the Blues’ and more…

But hang on. Haven’t I read much of this before?

In fact, Mr Beesley’s book follows “Goodison Memories” by Steve Zoucek and “Farewell to Goodison”, the official Everton tribute to their longstanding home written by club press officer David Prentice.

Mr Beesley actually acknowledges the help of Prentice in selecting the most memorable Goodison matches.

All three books are highly readable, well-researched products appealing to Everton fans seeking a memento of the ground they call “The Grand Old Lady.”

Mr Beesley can’t help the contents of his book being similar to the official Everton one. After all, history is history.

But I can’t help feeling Mr Beesley’s offering might suffer lost sales to its first on the scene rivals.

“Spirit of the Blues” by Christopher Beesley is published by Pitch, price £25.

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